Never have I felt anything this intense. The need to touch her, see her, taste her is almost overwhelming.
Garrett glides the tender to theSiren, and Robbie quickly anchors the small vessel, tying the lines off swiftly and efficiently.
The man that steps from the boat is the picture of arrogance. He's wearing salmon-colored shorts and a white polo shirt which accentuates the orange tone of fake tanner on his skin. His teeth are overly white making me think they forgot about him while getting his teeth whitened. His head is covered in a mop of curls quickly turning poofy from the humidity.
"Hey man, thanks for the ride." He offers his hand to me in greeting. "Keith. And you are?"
Grasping his hand in a firm shake, I say, "Captain Pike." There's something about him that sets me on edge. Maybe it's the cocky set of his jaw.
"Oh, nice." His eyes glance past my shoulder and a predatory smile crosses his lips. "Hannah." The way he sighs her name has me wanting to punch those over-white teeth from his mouth.
"Keith. Can I get you anything?" She stands at the bottom of the steps of the swim platform, her arms crossed. The smile on her face is polite but doesn't reach her eyes, making me pause. This isn't like her.
"A hug would be nice." It’s official, I hate this guy.
Hannah slowly steps forward, her arms unwinding to rest by her side but not wrapping around him. Instead, she stands stock still as he pulls her to him.
The sight of her in his arms has me filled with rage. I want to pull her from his arms and wrap her in mine.
He murmurs something in her ear too soft for me to hear and Hannah pulls back with a sudden jerk. "I would be happy to get youanything elseyou might need." It doesn't go unnoticed that her tone is firm and friendly but with a commanding air.
Keith chuckles, looking down and shaking his head. "You know, sex on the beach sounds pretty good right now."
What the fuck?
My fists clench at my sides as Hannah nods and sprints up the stairs to the aft deck to make his drink.
I'm going to have to keep an eye on this guy.
He’s been on the boat for three hours and he’s already running Hannah ragged. He orders drink after drink to be brought to him, has her unpacking his bags, and constantly does things that frustrates her. She grins politely, but the set of her jaw says anything but.
Throughout the dinner service, I work side by side with Hannah. With one more person on the boat, more hands are needed for service and there’s no way in hell I'm going to let anyone else do it. There's a sense that this slimy Keith fucker has something up his sleeves and I'm banking on the fact that he won't do it in front of me.
Damon is cooking a six-course tasting menu, courtesy of the prick. The minute he shook the chef's hand he practically demanded it. Damon has been stressed out all day preparing the menu and he's insisting on total silence as he plates.
My arm twitches with the need to wrap around Hannah as we wait for Damon to finish plating this course. She's been fidgeting since this morning and right now, she's bouncing on the balls of her feet, unable to stand still. I'm surprised Damon hasn't snapped at her yet.
There's an underlying history between Hannah and Keith and I want to know more. Is he an ex? Does he know what she sounds like as she comes?
Jealousy is quickly becoming my constant companion and I have to get a hold of myself. She clearly doesn’t like him and is only doing her job without doing something to get her fired.
Damon finishes plating the sea bass with a flourish. "They're good to go." Hannah grabs two plates and I grab the remaining one and follow after her.
The evening breeze is pleasant as the Oliviers insist on sitting at the table on the aft deck. Hanna decorated the area with strings of twinkle lights with Aidan’s help to hang them during a rare moment of downtime from Keith’s orders.
The double doors open, and we step up to the tables, Hannah serving Grace and Mark while I set my plate in front of Keith. She claps her hands lightly, speaking only to Grace and Mark, her smile tight but polite. "The third course this evening is grilled sea bass on a bed of asparagus and mashed potatoes." They smile at her in thanks, and we politely leave them for their meal.
"Are you alright?" I whisper as we walk side by side back to the galley, the automatic doors shutting behind us.
Her voice is soft but tense. "I'm fine."
Call me crazy but I've been around enough women to know the words'I'm fine' mean anything but. I want to ask her about it and get down to the bottom of whatever is going on right now, but I can't.
Very carefully I brush my hand against hers. To any outsider, it might look like an accidental graze, but we know better. "Come see me tonight."
Her eyes glance over to mine, locking for a split second before she shakes her head.
Hannah completely ignores me the rest of the night. We serve the final three courses together without a word uttered between us. Silently, she places dishes next to me on the counter while I scrub what I can as Damon cleans down the stove, getting ready to head down for the night.
